Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The cervical cancer screening issue has created a number of knock-on issues in terms of legislation. We must, in legislation, address open disclosure and the issue of corporate manslaughter. Major questions also arise regarding procurement and ensuring the best and most appropriate outcomes in this area. I will bring proposals to the House on this issue before the summer. I hope all sides will work with me on that.

Facebook has announced it will not accept advertisements purchased abroad in the lead-up to the referendum on the eighth amendment. I first highlighted this issue last November at the World Forum on Democracy, which focused on big data. In recent months, I have been pressing relentlessly for the implementation of necessary regulation and legislation in this area and for social media platforms to step up and take some responsibility in the interim.

Just a few weeks ago, officials from Facebook appeared before a meeting of the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment at which I and others challenged them to take action in response to the large amount of political advertising and sponsored content being targeted at Irish voters, including advertisements from unaccountable, unidentified and international actors. We urged them to ensure Ireland would not be another bad example of this practice. The committee was informed that Facebook did not have the technical capacity to provide the transparency required. I urged the company to stop selling advertising if it could not deliver transparency.

When I made the same demand last week, I was informed it was almost impossible to meet, yet today Facebook has agreed to stop selling advertisements to unaccountable international actors in respect of our referendum and the decision which is for Irish people to make as part of our electoral process. The company's decision is correct and in line with the spirit of our electoral laws.Nonetheless, our electoral laws and online regulations need reform and the ultimate solution must be legislation. The onus is on Google, through its advertisements, and Youtube to take responsibility and ensure they follow the spirit of our electoral laws by also declaring that they will not take internationally purchased referendum advertisements. I urge Google and Youtube which are linked and any other relevant platform to take action.

As well as the legislative work needed for online regulation, there is a concern about a loophole in the Data Protection Bill 2018 which could potentially allow parties or candidates to hire companies such as Cambridge Analytica or Cantor. That is not in the true spirit of Article 9.2(d) of the general data protection regulation. It exceeds what is included in it. It behoves the Government to take the opportunity to get this right from the beginning by ensuring we close any loophole which could be manipulated in that way. I hope the Minister for Justice and Equality will take this on board.